ROME , Italy -LRB- CNN -RRB- -- Nearly two dozen Americans -- most thought to work for the CIA -- were sentenced to five years in prison Wednesday by an Italian court for their role in the seizing of a suspected terrorist in Italy in 2003 , the prosecutor in the case told CNN .

The Americans did not appear for trial and are not in custody , but the ruling could effectively make them international fugitives .

The trial was the first to deal with a practice that human rights groups call `` extraordinary rendition . '' They say the United States has often sent suspects to countries that practice torture .

Washington acknowledges making secret `` rendition '' transfers of terrorism suspects between countries but denies using torture or handing suspects over to countries that do .

The case centered on the extraordinary rendition of a Muslim cleric , Osama Mustafa Hassan Nasr , or Abu Omar .

He was seized on the streets of Milan , Italy , in 2003 , transferred to Egypt and tortured , he said . He was suspected of recruiting men to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan and was under heavy surveillance by Italy 's intelligence agency .

Prosecutors said he was nabbed by a CIA team working with Italian intelligence officials .

The verdict `` shows governments and institutions that the fight against terrorism has to be carried out in accordance with the law . There are no shortcuts , '' Spataro told CNN .

Those who were found guilty were ordered to pay Abu Omar 1 million euros -LRB- $ 1.48 million -RRB- and his wife 500,000 euros .

A total of 22 Americans were each sentenced to five years in prison for their role in his abduction . Another -- Robert Seldon Lady , whom prosecutors said was the CIA station chief in Milan -- was sentenced to eight years in jail , prosecutor Armando Spataro told CNN .

Cases were dismissed against three other Americans , including Jeff Castelli , the man assumed to be the CIA station chief in Rome at the time , because they had diplomatic immunity from prosecution . Spataro said he may appeal that ruling .

Cases were also dismissed against the former head of Italy 's intelligence service and his deputy because of state secrecy provisions .

Two other Italians were sentenced to three years in jail for aiding the plot .

Sabrina De Sousa , one of the American defendants , was `` saddened , angered and dismayed '' by the ruling , her lawyer told CNN .

She felt the U.S. government had `` stabbed her in the back , '' Mark Zaid said . `` We understand why the Italians did what they did . They were following their laws . But at the end of the day , representatives of our United States government abroad were let down and left alone by their own government . ''

De Sousa , a career diplomat , is suing the State Department over the case , Zaid confirmed . She has never said she worked for the CIA .

CIA spokesman George Little said Wednesday : `` The CIA has not commented on any of the allegations surrounding Abu Omar . ''

But U.S. officials confirmed to CNN when the case first broke that the CIA was involved in the rendition of Abu Omar from Italy to Egypt . The officials never disclosed the number of Americans involved or their names .

Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell responded to the verdict as it applied to an Air Force officer , Lt. Col. Joseph Romano III , who was among the Americans sentenced .

The Pentagon had asserted jurisdiction over the incident under the NATO Status of Forces Agreement , a position that the Italian minister of justice supported , Morrell said .

`` We are clearly disappointed by the court 's ruling , '' Morrell said . `` Our view is that the Italian court has no jurisdiction over Lt. Col. Romano and should have immediately dismissed the charges . ''

The American Civil Liberties Union , a persistent critic of Washington 's extraordinary rendition program , demanded the United States match Italy 's actions .

`` The decision in Italy underscores the need for the United States to hold its own officials accountable for crimes committed under the ` extraordinary rendition ' program . It is shameful that the first convictions of this kind came from a foreign justice system , where those convicted are not likely to serve their time , '' said Steven Watt , staff attorney for the ACLU Human Rights Program .

Italian authorities originally indicted 26 Americans and five Italians in 2007 for kidnapping in the matter .

The Italians included the former head of Italian intelligence , Nicolo Pollari , and one of his deputies . They testified in preliminary hearings that Italian intelligence played no role in the alleged abduction .

None of the Americans is in custody in Italy and the Italian government did not ask for their extradition ; they were tried in absentia .

Former CIA analyst Michael Scheuer told CNN in the past that the Italian military secret service had approved the operation involving Hassan , and CIA sources who refused to be named told CNN in 2005 that the agency had briefed and sought approval from its Italian counterpart for such an abduction .

The Italian government of the day -- which was led by Silvio Berlusconi -- vigorously denied having authorized Hassan 's kidnapping , which it called illegal . Berlusconi has since returned to power .

CNN 's Hada Messia in Rome ; Paula Newton in London , England ; and Pam Benson and Jim Barnett in Washington contributed to this report .

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Suspected U.S. CIA agents ordered jailed for seizing of suspected terrorist in Milan

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Americans are not in custody , but ruling could make them international fugitives

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Case centered on `` extraordinary rendition '' of Muslim cleric , who says he was tortured in Egypt